Need some Tumbler tips

Coolray · February 10, 2001, 03:09 PM

I'm using Berrys tumbler and polish. As the directions on the polish says I add 2 capfuls of polish per 1000 rounds of 9MM. and 1 capful on each next batch. what I'm seeing is the brass comes out very clean and shiny,However when I De-cap and resize I get a blackish film on the clean brass, I suspect I have to much polish.

So what is the correct way to use my new tumbler?
I'm using corn media made for tumblers.

Master Blaster · February 11, 2001, 09:11 AM

The black stuff is from Bullet lube if hard cast, case lube, powder and dust building up in the dies. clean your dies with a Q-tip and paint thinner(spairingly on the qtip)
every 200 or so rounds. if you have dillon dies pull the pin on top to remove the insert.

WESHOOT2 · February 11, 2001, 02:41 PM

Suggest Dillon Rapid Polish.

stuckatwork · February 12, 2001, 10:52 AM

Try this also, toss a few pieces of a dryer sheet in with the brass and media. It will catch some of that free lube and polish knocking around in the tumble, it really will cut down on the static generated (I live in the desert and it is an annoyance) and your brass comes out smelling spring time fresh.

Are you sure that the black streaks are not coming from grundge built up in your dies? Take your dies apart and clean them with acetone or denatured alcohol.

Coolray · February 12, 2001, 11:14 AM

I cleaned the dies mostly it is the decapping/sizing die. still had the problem,next I retumbled the same bunch of brass in new media with out any polish and when I started to de-Cap no more black streaks this is why I'm sure it's polish. How do you guys use your tumblers? How much polish and do you add between batches of brass?

Big Bunny · February 12, 2001, 09:16 PM

Coolray -Could it be simply brass fouling or powder oxidization maybe transferring, or on the dies or lube used?

If it continues I would suspect too much/long periods of over-enthusiastic tumbling or too much polish, or too much for the quantity/quantity of media?
The die may be trying to do a bit of extra polishing of its own maybe !

What lube do you use for re-sizing? Could it be contaminated? Do you clean your dies regularly? Are your hands clean?

The first time it happens it may be just the accumulation of gunk (as dust) in the media from your old brass ?
[IE all those years when you didn't tumble....

because you thought it was a waste of time ...!!!]

Keep us informed, we will beat this problem together at TFL !!

BB

Coolray · February 13, 2001, 12:56 AM

Being a new reloader I must get information wherever I can.
I'm using Lee Carbide dies. Lee says do not cue any lube so I don't. Yes I wash up before I start a load session.

I cleaned the dies, and today I did not see any black stuff,I suppose it is pplish,So I'll play with the amount until I learn the right combo.

ArmySon · February 13, 2001, 01:33 AM

I only use one capful of Dillon's brass polish in my media. First, I dump in the media (minus the brass). Then I add a capful of the Dillon polish. Afterwards, I tumble the media and polish (no brass) for about 2 hours (or whenever I remember to turn it off

). Finally, I add the brass and let it tumble for an hour or so.

I only add the brass polish when the brass start to come out dull. I don't feel there's a need to use polish all the time.

jtduncan · February 13, 2001, 05:41 PM

Is that Berry's tumbler really that quiet?

Does it hold more cases than the Midway 1292?

Coolray · February 13, 2001, 11:17 PM

The Berrys tumbler is really quiet.
The only time it gets noisy is at the start when the media is mixing with the brass about 1 minute. Berrys lists it's capacity at 1000 9mm and midways lists theirs at 600 9mm.
The Berry's bowl is 11.5" across 5.5" Deep 4 quart capacity
I put about 600 in yesterday took about 90 min to get cleaned. It really mixes well and at $48 with a large nut and clear lid, it was a great value!

jtduncan · February 14, 2001, 04:13 PM

Don't waste your money on fancy "case polish."

Any ammonia-free metal polish suitable for brass will do the exact same job.

I like White Magic Metal Polish (rabbit on front) from NAPA auto parts. Big 16 ounce bottle for $4.99. It will last you a long time since on 4 or 5 drops are needed per batch.

Marko · February 14, 2001, 06:46 PM

I use two batches of media. 1st with a dab of auto rubbing compound(fine) then just plain just plain. I figure one cleans, one polishes/removes the junk the first put on.After the first stuff gets to dirty i replace it with the second batch, and add the compound.
Do you all tumble before you remove the primers or after? I like to polish after removing the primer to clean the pocket, but then you have to get the media out of the flash hole.
Any suggestions? Thanks

johnwill · February 14, 2001, 07:55 PM

I've never used polish, just walnut media. While I suspect my rounds aren't quite as shiny as some, they're clean and they shoot just fine. The only reason I polish them at all is to get the grit and soot off them before reloading.

And yes, I think you're using too much polish.

February 10, 2001, 03:09 PM	#1
Coolray Senior Member Join Date: August 11, 2000 Location: Spokane ,wa Posts: 290	I'm using Berrys tumbler and polish. As the directions on the polish says I add 2 capfuls of polish per 1000 rounds of 9MM. and 1 capful on each next batch. what I'm seeing is the brass comes out very clean and shiny,However when I De-cap and resize I get a blackish film on the clean brass, I suspect I have to much polish. So what is the correct way to use my new tumbler? I'm using corn media made for tumblers. __________________ Hello My name is Coolray.............And I'm an Addict

February 11, 2001, 02:41 PM	#3
WESHOOT2 Senior Member Join Date: February 20, 1999 Location: home on the range; Vermont (Caspian country) Posts: 12,933	Suggest Dillon Rapid Polish. __________________ . "all my ammo is mostly retired factory ammo"

February 12, 2001, 10:52 AM	#4
stuckatwork Senior Member Join Date: March 3, 2000 Posts: 217	Try this also, toss a few pieces of a dryer sheet in with the brass and media. It will catch some of that free lube and polish knocking around in the tumble, it really will cut down on the static generated (I live in the desert and it is an annoyance) and your brass comes out smelling spring time fresh. Are you sure that the black streaks are not coming from grundge built up in your dies? Take your dies apart and clean them with acetone or denatured alcohol. __________________ These are the words of Stuckatwork. They don't represent the views or opinions of my employers. They aren't that clever.

February 12, 2001, 11:14 AM	#5
Coolray Senior Member Join Date: August 11, 2000 Location: Spokane ,wa Posts: 290	I cleaned the dies mostly it is the decapping/sizing die. still had the problem,next I retumbled the same bunch of brass in new media with out any polish and when I started to de-Cap no more black streaks this is why I'm sure it's polish. How do you guys use your tumblers? How much polish and do you add between batches of brass? __________________ Hello My name is Coolray.............And I'm an Addict

February 12, 2001, 09:16 PM	#6
Big Bunny Senior Member Join Date: August 10, 1999 Location: New South Wales - Australia Posts: 606	Coolray -Could it be simply brass fouling or powder oxidization maybe transferring, or on the dies or lube used? If it continues I would suspect too much/long periods of over-enthusiastic tumbling or too much polish, or too much for the quantity/quantity of media? The die may be trying to do a bit of extra polishing of its own maybe ! What lube do you use for re-sizing? Could it be contaminated? Do you clean your dies regularly? Are your hands clean? The first time it happens it may be just the accumulation of gunk (as dust) in the media from your old brass ? [IE all those years when you didn't tumble.... because you thought it was a waste of time ...!!!] Keep us informed, we will beat this problem together at TFL !! BB __________________ Bad boys, bad boys...watcha goin' to do - watcha goin' to do when they come for YOU ?!

February 11, 2001, 09:11 AM	#2
Master Blaster Senior Member Join Date: October 12, 1999 Location: One of the original 13 Colonies Posts: 2,027	The black stuff is from Bullet lube if hard cast, case lube, powder and dust building up in the dies. clean your dies with a Q-tip and paint thinner(spairingly on the qtip) every 200 or so rounds. if you have dillon dies pull the pin on top to remove the insert.

February 13, 2001, 12:56 AM	#7
Coolray Senior Member Join Date: August 11, 2000 Location: Spokane ,wa Posts: 290	What lube do you use for re-sizing? Could it be contaminated? Do you clean your dies Being a new reloader I must get information wherever I can. I'm using Lee Carbide dies. Lee says do not cue any lube so I don't. Yes I wash up before I start a load session. I cleaned the dies, and today I did not see any black stuff,I suppose it is pplish,So I'll play with the amount until I learn the right combo.

February 13, 2001, 01:33 AM	#8
ArmySon Staff Alumnus Join Date: April 14, 2000 Posts: 2,926	I only use one capful of Dillon's brass polish in my media. First, I dump in the media (minus the brass). Then I add a capful of the Dillon polish. Afterwards, I tumble the media and polish (no brass) for about 2 hours (or whenever I remember to turn it off ). Finally, I add the brass and let it tumble for an hour or so. I only add the brass polish when the brass start to come out dull. I don't feel there's a need to use polish all the time.

February 13, 2001, 05:41 PM	#9
jtduncan Senior Member Join Date: December 5, 1999 Location: Seattle, Washington, USA Posts: 1,681	Is that Berry's tumbler really that quiet? Does it hold more cases than the Midway 1292? __________________ The Seattle SharpShooter - TFL/GT/AR15/SGT/PCT/KTOG/SWF/RF/HKPRO/OA2/1911Forum Reloaded .223 Rem, 9mm, 40SW, 357 SIG, 10mm, 44 Spl, 44 Mag, 45 ACP Today?

February 13, 2001, 11:17 PM	#10
Coolray Senior Member Join Date: August 11, 2000 Location: Spokane ,wa Posts: 290	The Berrys tumbler is really quiet. The only time it gets noisy is at the start when the media is mixing with the brass about 1 minute. Berrys lists it's capacity at 1000 9mm and midways lists theirs at 600 9mm. The Berry's bowl is 11.5" across 5.5" Deep 4 quart capacity I put about 600 in yesterday took about 90 min to get cleaned. It really mixes well and at $48 with a large nut and clear lid, it was a great value! __________________ Hello My name is Coolray.............And I'm an Addict

February 14, 2001, 04:13 PM	#11
jtduncan Senior Member Join Date: December 5, 1999 Location: Seattle, Washington, USA Posts: 1,681	Don't waste your money on fancy "case polish." Any ammonia-free metal polish suitable for brass will do the exact same job. I like White Magic Metal Polish (rabbit on front) from NAPA auto parts. Big 16 ounce bottle for $4.99. It will last you a long time since on 4 or 5 drops are needed per batch. __________________ The Seattle SharpShooter - TFL/GT/AR15/SGT/PCT/KTOG/SWF/RF/HKPRO/OA2/1911Forum Reloaded .223 Rem, 9mm, 40SW, 357 SIG, 10mm, 44 Spl, 44 Mag, 45 ACP Today?

February 14, 2001, 06:46 PM	#12
Marko Member Join Date: January 4, 2001 Posts: 16	I use two batches of media. 1st with a dab of auto rubbing compound(fine) then just plain just plain. I figure one cleans, one polishes/removes the junk the first put on.After the first stuff gets to dirty i replace it with the second batch, and add the compound. Do you all tumble before you remove the primers or after? I like to polish after removing the primer to clean the pocket, but then you have to get the media out of the flash hole. Any suggestions? Thanks

February 14, 2001, 07:55 PM	#13
johnwill Senior Member Join Date: April 6, 2000 Location: PA Posts: 3,451	I've never used polish, just walnut media. While I suspect my rounds aren't quite as shiny as some, they're clean and they shoot just fine. The only reason I polish them at all is to get the grit and soot off them before reloading. And yes, I think you're using too much polish.